Vive La France!

  The French version of Weekend Agreement is doing very well.  This morning, the Kindle version is the 354 most popular download.  Check out the cool cover!  The translation is A Small Weekend Between Enemies. 

Meanwhile, over in the UK, both Weekend Agreement and Billionaire’s Fair Lady are selling well too.  And, as the cherry on the foreign release sundae,  Beauty and the Brooding Boss is out in Portugal and Greece.

Sorry I’ve been so lax about posting the past couple months.  I’ve been hard at work on two upcoming books.  Next month the Barbara Wallace Newsletter makes its debut.  If you haven’t signed up for my mailing list yet, please do!

Ranting A Bit About Promo Pet Peeves

A while back I promised a blog entry about promotional pet peeves.  Obviously, late blogging needs to top the list since I haven’t blogged in a couple weeks.  (Deadlines and flu season screwed me up royally.)

The topic came about because I mentioned a current peeve of mine – posting about your novel in the comment section of someone else’s blog post.  It’s happened to me twice now, and I liken it to someone jumping into a conversation at a cocktail party to talk about themselves.  Yes, it gets the word out, but does it help?

Look, I get how hard promotion is.  Especially in this new wild, wild west world of publishing where, unless your Nora Roberts or Susan Elizabeth Phillips, you have to fight for every book sale.  In fact, later this week I’m starting my own group blogging effort with several other authors to harness the power of social media myself.

But does promotion have to be so hard core?  It’s gotten to the point where I can’t log onto Twitter without seeing a thousand reviews and Amazon links.  I’m not completely innocent in this either.  I’ve done my share of posting reviews and book info too.  But I’d like to think I balance those links with other comments.

Which brings me back to my promo pet peeve list.  Over the past year or so, I’ve come up with a list of social media/public relations tactics that sit poorly with me.  They are, in no particular order

1. Hijacking someone’s blog post.  As I mentioned above, this is happened to me twice.  It’s not so much that they referred to their own book in their comment but that they visited the blog specifically to do so.  In both cases, the person was a first time commenter, making their intent blatantly obvious.  One time, the person was there because another author ran a contest encouraging readers to spam other blogs. Which leads me to Pet Peeve #2.
2. Encouraging readers to spam other authors’ blogs.  A best-selling author encouraged her followers to mention her upcoming book around the web, including comment sections of other blogs.  I’m not going to say who this author was – because truthfully I blocked out her name.  In this day of street teams, let’s try to practice of little restraint, ‘kay?
3. Spamming Twitter feeds with Amazon links.  I have never bought a book because I got an Amazon link.  Never.  I have bought a book because I chatted with an author on Twitter and got to know her and her personality.  I like supporting people I know.
4. Spamming message boards with announcements/links to your books.  Again, message boards are for discussions.  I don’t go on the Harlequin message boards.  I mean to because it’s a great way to interact with readers.  However, I never seem to have the time to do so properly.  Same with Goodread boards.  I don’t think it’s fair to readers to just throw out info about my books then leave.  Message boards are for conversation, IMO as much as anything.  A way to connect.  Spamming isn’t connection.
5. Spamming FB with invitations to book events.  (Sensing a theme here yet?)  I must get an invite a day, some from people I don’t even know who have friended me on FB and whom I only know through posts about their book.

All of these peeves lead me to the number one peeve of all.

Inauthenticity.  I don’t even know if inauthenticity is a word.  (Spellcheck tells me no).  But all these practices seem to boil down to the same thing – a lack of real, personal interaction.  In my opinion, Social Media falls under the heading of Public Relations.  PUBLIC RELATIONS IS NOT ADVERTISING.  I know this because I spent a lot of time in school getting a Master’s Degree in the topic.  Public Relations by definition is how you relate to your public.  Key word-  relate.  It means two-way conversation.  It means listening and talking with your audience, understanding their needs and connecting with them.   Okay, that’s not the real technical definition.  But, understand this, how you relate with your audience is part of your brand.  An author like Maisey Yates is successful at Twitter because she chats with people about anything and everything with only a sprinkle of posts about her books.  Jane Porter has a huge blog following largely because she talks with readers about her family and her life.  Donna Alward has successfully marketed herself through the message boards because she’s an active participant in the conversations taking place.  See?  Connection.

Look, I’m not suggestion people never Tweet links to reviews or blog posts. That’s not the point. My point is that good social media marketing should involve more than link posting.  It should involve you.  If you only shout “Buy me” at them, it reflects on how they view you.  If you doubt me, think about the cocktail party analogy I used at the beginning of this post.  What would you do if, while at a party, a person came up and simply talked about themselves for twenty minutes straight?  Would you avoid that person for the rest of the evening?  Same goes for social media.  When all is said and done, it’s actually pretty simple.  You want to shout – buy an ad;  You want to use social media – be social.

Since so many of my readers enjoy epilogues, I thought I’d post the deleted scene from The  Billionaire’s Fair Lady.  Enjoy!

Epilogue From the Billionaire’s Fair Lady

“I thought she’d be over her horse phase by now.”

Laughing, Roxy leaned her head against Mike’s shoulder.  “You’re adorable when you’re clueless, you know that?”

The weather at Bryant Park couldn’t be better.  Cloudless, unseasonably warm.  As though nature agreed the day should be as perfect as possible.

Then again, in Roxy’s opinion, things had been damn near close to great for a long, long time.

Over at the carousel, the bride was laughing while seated atop her white wooden stallion.  Her red curls flew in the breeze.  Next to her, a handsome dark-haired groom laughed too while a photographer snapped away.

Roxy smiled at the sight.  “This has nothing to do with horses?”

“It doesn’t?” Mike asked.  “Then why am I paying a small fortune for location photography when we could be eating stuffed chicken at the Landmark.”

She smacked his arm.  Both of them knew perfectly well he would indulge anything Steffi wanted, including buying her a personal carousel if that’s what she wanted.  The girl had him wrapped around both little fingers, and had ever since the day the three of them ran into each other on the sidewalk  Or as Roxy liked to say, saved one another.

Over the years they’d had their shares of ups and downs. Mike never stopped being a driven workaholic.  She never completely shook her insecurities.  Together they learned that life and love may not always be perfect, but as long as they were together, imperfection could be pretty damn good.  Like Mike once said, “you’re only a failure if you let yourself be.”

Now here they were, watching their daughter and her husband embark on the same journey.

Her husband shifted his weight, muttering something uncomfortable folding chairs.  “If it’s not about horses, what is it about?”

“This was the first place you ever took us, remember?”

“Of course I remember.  You were off fighting a makeover, and  I’d run out of entertainment ideas.”

It was the first of what became a family tradition.  Saturday afternoon outing.  To this day, Roxy couldn’t pass this park without grinning like a fool.  “You found our daughter her white stallion.”  Becoming Steffi’s hero from that day forward.  Roxy’s too for that matter.  “That’s the moment I fell in love with you, did you know that?”

“Really?”  Mike pressed his lips to her temple.  “For me it was the waitressing skirt.  What?”  The comment earned him another playful slap.  “Can I help it if you had a fantastic looking rear end?

“Still do,” he whispered huskily.

Roxy shivered.  Twenty years and that voice still made her melt.  “Down boy.  We’re at our daughter’s wedding.”

“Which means tonight is the wedding night.”

“Hers, not ours.”

A groan sounded in his ear.  “Thank you for putting that image in my head.  She’s still my little pony.”

“You’re little pony is a beautiful, grown woman.”

“Who looks exactly like her mother,” he replied, kissing her.

A squeal drew their attention back to the carousel.  Steffi’s husband, Brad, had her by the waist, spinning her around.  She was playfully batting at his shoulders.  “Think they’ll be alright” Roxy asked Mike.  “That they’ll make it?”

“If they have half the life together that we’ve had, they’ll be great”

His words washed over her.  The past two decades had been great.  “Have I told you lately that I love you, Michael Templeton?”

“Yes, but I never get tired of hearing it.  Or saying it back.  I love you too.”

“Mom, Dad, come on!”  From the platform, Steffi waved them over.  “We need you.”

“Alone time over,” Mike said.  He rose and held out his hand.  “Ready to ride the carousel again, Mrs. Templeton?”

Roxy wrapped her fingers in his.  “With you?  Always.”

THE END

Welcome Back!

At last, the holidays are over!  Don’t get me wrong – I love Christmas.  It’s my favorite season.  Unfortunately, this year my favorite season came at the same time as revisions for my August Harlequin – The Courage to Say Yes.  Thus, instead of spending December decking the halls, I spent the month clacking away on my keyboard.  I think, however, you’ll like the end result.  The Courage to Say Yes hits shelves August 13, 2013.  I’ll keep you all posted.

Speaking of keeping you posted, I’ve finally set up a reader newsletter!  Four times a year, I’ll send mail out a short, fun newsletter with articles, information on upcoming releases and other fun subscriber-only goodies.  If you’re interested in being on my mailing list – and I hope you are – please sign up by clicking here.  This newsletter is part of my 2013 promise to stay more in touch with readers.  After all, it’s you that make my job so rewarding.

Finally, if you remember, I mentioned sitting on some exciting news.  Well, the ink has finally dried.  I’m thrilled to announce I’m writing another story for Entangled Publishing.  The story, Teaching the Tycoon, is part of an anthology with New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump, Susan Meier and Jackie Braun.   It’s the story of a  travelling Jack Russell terrier named Charlie.  Charlie, cute little dickens that he is, has a knack for matchmaking.  He manages to help four friends find romance.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to be a part of this project.  Shirley, Jackie and Susan are amazing authors. And, they are a lot of fun to work with.  In fact, Susan and I worked together on my very first Harlequin release – A Fairytale Christmas.  She taught me a ton.  I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on what’s happening.  Look for the book to hit (electronic) shelves sometime this spring.

Daring to Date the Boss is a finalist in Romantic Times’ Reviewers’ Choice Awards.  It’s nominated for Best Harlequin Romance.  Woot!

Big News Coming! (And a Cover Reveal!)

I’m really excited about an upcoming project.  Sadly, I can’t share much more right now than to say it involves a very cute dog and some amazing authors.  (I know, I’m terrible.)  Keep an eye on this space for more information.

In the meantime, I’m thrilled to share the cover for my January Harlequin Romance – The Billionaire’s Fair Lady.  “Billionaire” is Mike Templeton’s story – Grant’s brother, from Mr. Right, Next Door!

For hotshot lawyer Mike Templeton, success is nonnegotiable. So when actress-turned-waitress Roxy O’Brien rocks his Manhattan office with a scandalous inheritance claim that could save his new legal practice, he can’t refuse the challenge. But first he has to “smooth out the rough edges.”

One uptown makeover later, Roxy feels every inch the beautiful New York heiress—and, judging by the heat in Mike’s eyes, he agrees! But when their professional relationship becomes a little too personal, suddenly it’s not just her future at stake—it’s her heart….

Of Being a Turtle

A few months ago I wrote a blog for the Naked Hero on how my spiritual totem is the turtle, and how apropos that is.  Turtles are slow, steady and eventually make their destination.  Every once in a while, I have to remind myself about that last part though.  Sometimes, when I’m inundated with other people’s great news – making the list, getting the big deal, finishing the single title, etc. – I forget.  Truth is, faster isn’t always better.  Perhaps I should rephrase that.  Slower isn’t always bad.  Just because I’m slower than other writers doesn’t mean I won’t make my destination eventually.  This  applies to making best seller lists, to writing the break out book and even my work in progress.  So my advice today to everyone is not to worry about their pace.  Everyone gets there eventually.

By the way, being a turtle also means I tend to retreat into my shell every now and again.  Especially when I’m faced with a looming deadline.  So if I disappear now and again, you all know why.

Happy Writing!

Today’s dog walk started out  cloudy, cold and windy.  Needless to say, I didn’t dress appropriately so I was cold.  Naturally, because I was cold, Pup-pup (who’d much rather run around the yard then walk on a leash anyway) decided he needed to mark every tree on our route, and so the entire journey was a series of stop and starts.  No sooner would I get a good pace going then he would slow down to pee.  Or worse, stop altogether because there was something on the road that needed sniffing.  Fortunately, around the 3/4 mile marker, the sun came out and the last portion of our walk was warmer and much smoother.  (Pup-pup gets faster those closer we get to home – and his cookie.)

It dawned on me the entire walk was an excellent metaphor for the novel writing process.

On a complete unrelated note, today marks my twelfth day of gluten free living.  I’m still waiting for the benefits to kick in.  I’m told it’ll take a good month for that.  In the meantime, I’m slowly but surely getting the hang of gluten-free cooking.  Because fresh fruits and vegetables reign supreme, I’m finding myself making a lot more soups.  This one, Roasted Squash and Apple soup came out fantastic.  I thought I’d share it here.  This recipe is for two people.  If you want a bigger batch, just double the quantities.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP

1/2 acorn squash cut into wedges

1 -2 small apples

1 shallot, peeled and halved

2 tablespoons olive oil (I used corn oil to avoid gluten)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons heavy cream

pinch of ginger

pinch of cayenne pepper (if desired)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Toss squash and shallot with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper (if desired), then place them cut side down on pan.  Roast until soft – around 25 minutes.  Let cool slightly and remove skin from squash.

Transfer vegetables to blender.  Add apples and broth.  Process to smooth, adding additional broth to adjust consistency if necessary.

Return to saucepan.  Stir in cream, ginger and (if desired) cayenne pepper.  Bring to a simmer.  Serve with toasty warm bread or, if you’re Barb – gluten free popovers!

(Note: the original recipe suggests straining the soup before returning it to the sauce pan.  I prefer a little bulk so I did not.)

Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, I discovered I have an acute gluten intolerance.  I’m told removing gluten from my diet will decrease my headaches, my stomach issues and a whole host of things.  Today is Day Five of Barb’s Gluten Free Lifestyle.  Thus far, I’ve discovered a few things:

1. Going off gluten can cause withdrawal symptoms.  Apparently gluten peptides can bind with opiate receptors in the brain, giving people a high similar to being on opium or heroin.  It’s why we feel better after eating pretzels.  Thus, going gluten-free can feel like quitting an addiction cold-turkey.  I spent the bulk of Saturday on the sofa feeling like I’d been hit by a flu-filled truck.  Didn’t help matters that my son, Tattoo, was home from college reminding me of the whole opiate receptor/gluten connection.  Why I thought his taking nutrition was a good idea, I’ll never know.

2. Going off gluten isn’t as simple as giving up bread and pasta.  Gluten lurks everywhere.  The margarine we use?  Gluten.  Twizzlers licorice? Gluten.  Beef broth? Gluten.  Bottled salad dressings? Gluten.  Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Lattes? Gluten.  Eventually knowing what foods you can and can’t eat becomes second nature.  In the meantime, however, I have to look up each and every item I put in my mouth.  What’s more: In addition to switching foods, there’s the whole issue of cross contamination.  If a spatula touches a bun, then it can’t touch my food for fear of gluten contamination.  So, today I’m off to buy a new toaster, new canisters, a new cutting board, my own special spatula and spoon.

Bottom line is all this is quite mentally exhausting, time consuming and distracting.  Making writing  difficult.  As I told my editor this morning, I actually worried yesterday about my hero eating whole wheat toast!  Fortunately, I have a very understanding editor who would rather I turned in my best work two or three days late than give her #$()*#$ on time.  (I swear, if I had a daughter, I’d rename her in this woman’s honor!)

All this has made me appreciate the impact life stress has on our career.  Some jobs you can keep plugging away despite distraction.  Creativity requires we be fully and emotionally rested. Last week I talked about having to honor your process no matter how messy it is.  Here’s a second piece of advice: Honor your self as well.  Life happens.  How the stress affects your creativity is part of your process as well. Bear that in mind, and if  you find yourself a bit bogged down because other crap is happening – it’s okay.